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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Gearing Up to Meet the Challenge for 2013

Only two weeks left to prepare for this year's Family History Writing Challenge, sponsored by The Armchair Genealogist. Click on the badge to the right to find out more about the challenge and to sign up.

Since moving to a larger apartment this past November, I have shelved most of my surname binders, along with some of the histories, published family genealogies, historical novels and memoirs that I've read within the past year. But until this afternoon, the plastic file box containing most of the journals, newspaper clippings, books and momentoes related to this year's topic sat amid several stacks, pushed into the back corner of my office.

Fortunately, the box needed was found third from the top of the stack closest to my desk! Unfortunately, when I opened the box, I discovered that these items did not escape the mildew problem we had at the old apartment. That means I will need to digitize EVERYTHING pertaining to this year's challenge.

Last year I began working on the family history memoir related to my husband's great grandfather, Sergeant Isaac Carter, who was a Free Person of Color, serving in the 14th Regiment USCT Heavy Artillery, stationed at Fort Macon, North Carolina. This has been a vast undertaking, and you can follow my progress on transcribing his Civil War Pension File on the main blog. I've also been journaling about collateral reading.

This year's project stems from a promise I had made my husband's Cousin Hattie the last time we visited in 2009, just months before her death. It's a story that a dear friend had told me I should write many years ago. I have started several times, but never got very far...mainly because it involves a traumatic event that changed my family's lives forever.

I hope you'll stop by from time-to-time during the month of February and follow my progress on this year's challenge. And feel free to comment on posts...especially as the intensity picks up!